Osawatomie Getting Ready for Obama Visit

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OSAWATOMIE, Kan. -- The small town of Osawatomie, Kansas, hasn't had this sort of excitement in over a century, as the community prepares for a visit on Tuesday from President Barack Obama.

The President is scheduled to speak on Tuesday afternoon at Osawatomie High School. The last time a President spoke in Osawatomie was Theodore Roosevelt in 1910.

"There is absolute buzz around town," said Ashley Dooley Wohlgemuth, executive director of the Osawatomie YMCA. She and others in the town spent Monday cleaning the high school and YMCA, which is attached to the school but will be closed for the President's visit.

"We would like to keep the YMCA open for normal business operations, but local law enforcement have ordered us closed for safety reasons," said Wohlgemuth.

Osawatomie High principal Doug Chisam says that he began working with Secret Service agents last week.

"Very thorough, unbelievably thorough on expectations but they're great people," said Chisam. He says that there are 355 students at the school, but only between 50 and 100 of them will actually get to see Obama in person.

"Some waited in line for the tickets, some are our leadership groups, student council, yearbook groups," said Chisam.

The White House would not say why Osawatomie was chosen, only saying that the President's speech will focus on the economy and middle class.